Mail canceling and postmarking machine.



Patented Feb. 5, l90l.

F. C. IELFIELD. MAIL GANCELING AND POSTMABKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jul. 9, 189 9. Renewed Oct. 10, 1900.)

2 Shoots-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

. w WZZnesses:

No. 667,394. Patented Fe 5, [90L F. C. IELFIELD. MAIL'OANOELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

(Appliclflon filed an. 9, 1599. ma ma Oct. 10. 1900. 7 (No Model.) 2 Shoats$haet 2.

. m w. #1 q M C? J *1 iidfW 177575165 as. $3 dia UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRED o. IELFIELD, or SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY manor ANiJ" MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE COLUMBIA POSTAL SUPPLY ooMPANY.

MAIL CANCELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,394, dated February 5, 1901;

Application filed January 9,1899. Renewed October 10,1900. b'erial No. 32,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ed on this frame and provided near one side Be it known that I, FRED O. IELFIELD,a citiof the machine with a guideway or feed-chute zen of the United States, residing at Silver B for the mail-matter to be marked. The

Creek, in the countyof Chautauqua and State table forms the bottom of this guideway, and

of New York, have invented new and useful its sides are formed by longitudinal upright Improvements in Mail Canceling and Postboards B marking Machines, of which the following is C is a followerwhich bears against the rear a specification. end of the stack of mail-matter placed in the This invention relates to that class of mailfeed-chute and which is inclined toward the IO marking machinesin which thepiecesof mailfront end of the chute, so as to support the matter to be marked by canceling or postpieces of mail-matter, which stand on one of marking stamps, or both, are placed in a their longitudinal edges in a forwardly-instack one piece behind the other upon afeed clined position, as shown. The follower Cis table or chute, so as to face aseparating mechmoved forwardly in the feed-chute for gradu- 15 anism by which the foremost piece is sepaally advancing the mail-matter by means of rated from the stack and in which the succesa rotary feed-shaft d, journaled transversely sively-separated pieces are fed by a feeding under the front portion of the table and conmechanism to the marking mechanism. nected with the follower bylongitudinal tapes The objects of my invention are to produce or other flexible connections (1, which are se 20 a separating mechanism for this purpose cured at their ends to the follower and the which is simple in construction, efficient in shaft, respectively, and pass over rollers d operation, and not liable to injure the mail journaled in openings formed in the table matter and to improve the machine in other near the front end of the feed-chute, as shown respects. in Figs. 1, 3, and 8. The feed-shaft (Z has a 25 In the accompanying drawings, consisting hand-wheel for turning it and may be proof two sheets, Figure 1 is a side elevation of vided with frictional means for retarding its myimproved machine. Fig. 2 is a front view rotation; but this is not necessary if the folof the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical lower is made sufficiently heavy to hold the section thereof in line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. .tisa mail-matter in position. The tapes d rest 0 fragmentary longitudinal section in line 4 4, upon the table, and the mail-matter is sup- Fig. 2, showing thedevices for stacking the ported on and carried by the tapes, so that marked mail-matter. Fig. 5 is a transverse uponturning the feed.- shaft forwardly the section in line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top batch of mail-matter in the feed-chute is plan view of the machine; Fig. 7 is a horimoved bodily toward the front end of the 35 zontal section in line 7 7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 isa chute without disturbing the inclined posivertical longitudinal section in line 8 8, Fig. tion of the mail-pieces. The tapes are made 6. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal secof some rough material, which prevents the tion, on an enlarged scale, in line 9 9, Fig. 6. foremost pieces of mail-matter from slipping Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section, on an out of their inclined position. Silk cords or 40 enlarged scale, in line 10 10, Fig. 7. Fig. 11 canvas tapes having a facing of rubber may 0 is a fragmentary top plan view, on an enbe employed for this purpose. The stack of larged scale, showing the relative position of mail-matter may, however, be fed forward in the printing-roller and a piece of mail-matter any other suitable way.

as the latter is being marked. E is an upright stationary guide or face 5 Like letters of reference refer to like parts plate which isarranged transversely at the 5 in the several figures. front end of the feed-chute and against which The stationary frame of the machine is of the pieces of mail-matter are successively any suitable construction, and consists, as drawn from the front end of the stack by an shown, of postsAand horizontal side and end air-current, which acts upon the foremost 50 pieces A A B isatableor platform mountpiece through an opening 6, formed in said too guide-plate, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8. This opening forms the inlet of a suction-pipe f, which latter, in connection with the face or guide plate having said opening, forms a suction-head, which faces the stack of mailmatter to be separated. The air-current employed for this purpose may be induced by any suitable contrivance, such as a suctionfan F, as shown in the drawings. This fan is preferably arranged lengthwise below the table B and has its eye connected with the pipef. In feeding the stack of mail-matter toward the guide-plate E the stack is not pressed against this plate, but is advanced just sufficiently to bring the foremost letter or piece within the suction range of the aircurrent. As soon as the foremost piece comes within this range the ai r-current separates it from the remaining pieces and draws it across the space between the guide-plate and the stack of mail-matter and against the face of the guide-plate, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The separated piece covers the suction-opening in the plate entirely, or nearly so, and is held against the plate until removed by a force which overcomes the atmospheric pressure against the piece. Satisfactory results have been obtained by making the suctionopening 6 three inches in width and two and one-quarter inches in height and locating the edge thereof nearestthe outer chute-wall B three-fourths of an inch from said wall. In order to prevent small mail-matter from being drawn through this opening, a number of is arranged lengthwise below the table B and supported in bearings secured to the end pieces A of the frame. The fan -shaft is driven from the main shaft by bevel-gears h h, secured to said shafts.

The canceling or marking devices receive the separated pieces of mail-matter from the guide-plate E and are arranged beyond the inner side of the feed-chute and adjacent to said guide-plate. They consist of a horizontal printing-roller I, having suitable canceling and postmarking dies on its periphery, and an impression-roller J. The opposing faces of the rollers are arranged slightly beyond the inner face of the guide-plate, and the matter drawn against the guide-plate is stripped from the opening 2 and delivered to the marking devices by a carrier or conveyer of any suitable-construction. The carrier shown in the drawings consists of an endless chain K, passing around sprocket-Wheels k k and provided with laterally-projecting fingers 0 which are arranged at regular intervals of about twelve inches and engage against the rear edges of the pieces of mailmatter and convey the same between the printing and impression rollers. The upper portion of the carrier-chain is substantially horizontal and located at the proper height with reference to the table B to engage with the various sizes of mail-matter. The guide plate E is provided opposite the adjacent portion of the carrier-chain with a slot Z, which follows the course of the chain and through which the fingers of the chain "project, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, S, and 9. One of the sprocket-wheels 7t 70 70 preferably the wheel 70, is made adjustable toward and from the wheel 7.2 by suitable means, so that the slack of the chain can be taken up as the same becomes worn. In the construction shown in the drawings this is accomplished by mounting the guide wheel 70 on an adjustable bracket M, which is secured to the table B by set-screws passing through a slot of the bracket, as shown in Fig. 6. The carrier is driven from the main shaft by the lower sprocket-wheel k which is mounted on said shaft. The upperinnerguide-wheel 7c of the carrier is arranged beyond the printing and impression rollers I J, so that the horizontal or effective portion of the carrier extends beyond said rollers and positively propels the mail-matter between and past the rollers.

The impression-roller J is mounted on the upper end of avertical shaft m, which isjournaled at its upper end in a bearing secured to the frame below the table B and at its lower end in a bracket H, secured to the stationary frame of the machine, as shown in Figs. 3, 8, 9, and 10. This roller projects through an opening m, formed in the transverse guide-plate E. Either the printingroller or the impression-roller is arranged to yield laterally to permit pieces of mail-matter of various thicknesses to pass between the rollers. In the construction shown in the drawings the printing-roller is made yielding and its upright shaft n is journaled in an upright oscillating frame N, which turns on a vertical shaft n, arranged at its upper end in a bearing secured to the under side of the table and at its lower end in a bracket M, shown in Fig. 10. The printing-roller passes through a longitudinal slotn which is formed in the table and which permits this roller to approach and recede from the impressionroller, which latter also passes through said slot, asshown in Fig. 9.

The shaft 42' is driven from the main shaft H by bevel-gears 0 o, and the shaft of the printingroller is in turn driven from the shaft n by-spur-gears o 0 as shown in Figs. 1, 7, 8, and 10. The printing-roller is held in yielding contact with the impression-roller by a spring 19, secured to the bracket M and bearing against the adjacent arm of the oscillating frame N, as seen in Figs. 7 and 10.

As shown in Fig. 9, the impression and printing rollers extend below the surface of the table B,and the impression-roller is driven from the printing-roller by gear-wheels q 61, secured to the shafts of said rollers.

The printing-roller is provided below the table B with an annular flange i, which extends slightly beyond the printing-face of the roller and runs in contact with the impression-roller when there is no mail-matter between those rollers, thereby keeping the impression-roller out of contact with said printing-face at all times and preventing sinntting of said roller and soiling of the rear side of the mail-matter running against the same. The separating-flange a; does not project so far beyond the die or stamp of the printingroller as to prevent the mail-matter from being properly canceled and marked, but extends beyond said face only about the thickness of a sheet of writing-paper, so as to allow an impression to be delivered upon the thinnest mail-matter and yet prevent the die or stamp of the printing-roller from touching the impression-roller and smutting it during the intervals that the rollers run idle. In the drawings the width of the separatingflange i is exaggerated for clearness.

The prin ting-roller is about four inches in diameter, so that its circumference of about twelve inches corresponds to the distance between adjacent fingers of the carrier K, and the printing-roller is driven to turn at the same peripheral speed as the carrier, so that the printing-roller makes one complete turn for every letter or other piece of mail-matter delivered to it by the carrier. not operative around its entire circumference, for about three-fourths of its periphery is recessed or cut away, as shown at in Figs. 6 and 11, so that only a part of its circumference about three inches long approaches the impression-roller sufficiently close to act upon the mail-matter passing between the rollers, this salient portion or segment 11 of the printin g-roller carrying the marking-dies. The fingers of the carrier are so arranged relatively to this operative segment of the printing-roller that the segment faces or cooperates with the impression-roller only during the passageof about the last three inches of the advancing piece of mail-matter, regardless of its length, three inches being the maximum length of the area covered by the stamp or stamps and the postmark of mailmatter. Hence by delivering the mail-matter to the printing-roller in an inverted position and with the stamp toward its rear end the remaining front portion of the matter is not seized by the two rollers, but is allowed to advance freely through the Wide space between the impression-roller and the recessed portion of the printing-roller and only that portion of the mail-matter which is to receive the canceling and dating characters is seized by the rollers and subjected to pressure between the same. By this construction the mail-matter is not liable to be buckled or crumpled, and open matter or matter having a loose wrapper can pass between the rollers without danger of being torn or otherwise damaged.

The printing-roller is inked by any suitable means, the device shown in the drawings c0n- This roller is sisting of an ordinary inking-roller 0", which is pressed against the printing-roller by a spring .9.

The outer wall B of the feed-chute extends to the transverse guide-plate E, but its inner wall terminates at a sufficient distance from said plate to leave an ample passage for the mail-matter on its way to the canceling and postmarking devices.

T isa longitudinal receiving-chute or guideway which is arranged on the table B on the delivery side of the markingdevices and which receives the marked letters. The guide-plate E extends across the front end of the chute T, and the outer wall of the latter extends forwardly to said plate, while its inner wall terminates at a distance therefrom to leave a passage for the mail-matter, as shown in Fig. 6. The mail-matter is stacked against a sliding abutment T, which rests loosely on the bottom of the receiving-chute. As the pieces of mail-matter are successively delivered into this chute the stack or batch of letters is gradually pressed backward in the chute to make room for the successive pieces by any suitable device, which advances and presses the mail-matter backward immediately after a piece is delivered into the chute and recedes out of the Way before the delivery of the next piece. The device shown in the drawings consists of an elbow-lever U, Fig. 4, fulcrumed upon the wrist-pin u of a rotary crank-disk a, which is mounted on a transverse shaft 16 arranged on the under side of the table B, near the front end thereof. The upper arm of this lever projects upwardly through a slot U13, formed in the bottom of the receiving-chute T and the guide-plate E, and is held at all timesin an approximately upright position by a slide 1), connected at its front end to the lower arm of the elbow-lever. This slide moveslengthwise ofthe table andis supported by a guide '2), secured to the under side of the table, the slide and its guide being preferably V-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 5. The rotation of the crank-disk in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, produces a combined forward-and-backward and risingand-falling motion of the upper arm of the elbow-lever, said arm projecting above the table and at the same time moving forwardly during the upper half of the rotation of the wrist-pin and receding below the table during the lower half of the rotation. Said arm thus presses the stack of mail-matter backward in the receiving-chute during its forward stroke and clears the same during its return stroke, permitting the next piece of mail-matter to enter the chute in front of the foremost piece of the stack before the arm again advances.

The shaft of the crank-disk u is supported in a bearing depending from the table and is driven from the carrier-chain K by an intermediate sprocket-wheel or idler to, engaging with said carrier and having a bevel-gear'w, which meshes with a bevel-wheel 'w secured to the shaft of the crank-disk, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

As shown in Fig. 6, the transverse guideplate E extends continuously from the feedchute to the receiving-chute, forming an unbroken guide for the mail-matter as it passes through the machine.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The follower of the feed-chute is drawn back to its starting-point and a stack of mail-matter is placed in the chute in front of the follower, the pieces being placed on edge in an inverted position, with the stamp toward the outer wall 13 of the chute and with the stamped ends of the pieces squared against the outer wall of the chute, in which position the stamped side of the matter faces that side of its course through the machine on which the printing-roller I is arranged. The sliding abutment T of the receivingchute is shifted to the front portion of the chute, and the machine is then set in motion. Upon bringing the foremost piece of mailmatter within range of the induced continuous air-current said piece is separated from the stack and drawn flatwise against the guide-plate E by the current. The separated piece covers the suction-openingin said plate entirely, ornearly so, and momentarily shuts off the air-currentat the guide-plate correspondingly. The current is thereby prevented from acting upon the following piece of mail-matter. After the separated piece of mail-matter has been brought against the guide-plate one of the fingers of the carrier K engages against the rear edge of the piece' and conveys it forwardly along the guideplate E and between the printing and impression rollers, whereby it is canceled, postmarked, or otherwise marked, as hereinbefore described. After passing these marking devices the piece is delivered into the receiving-chute T by the carrier and stacked against the sliding abutment T by the stacker-arm U. As soon as the separated piece of mailmatter is seized and moved onward by the carrier the suction-opening of the guide-plate is uncovered and the air-current draws the next piece of mail-matter from the front end of the stack and against the guide-plate E, when it is conveyed to the marking devices and delivered into the receiving-chute, and this operation is repeated with great rapidity until the batch of matteris exhausted. The guide-plate holds the pieces of mail-matter in an upright position after the same are removed from the influence of the air-current and while passing to the marking devices, the intermediate space being so small and the speed of the advancing piece so great that the latter does not have time to fall out of its proper position. This suction device for separating the foremost piece of mail-matter from the stack is not only extremely simple in construction and very rapid in operation, but it picks off one piece at a time with great certainty and also avoids all liability of tearing the matter, as it employs no needles or other devices which penetrate the envelop or wrapper and are liable to damage the mailmatter.

It will be observed that in my improved machine the letters or other pieces of mailmatter are not held against an abutment or guide while the foremost piece is separated from the adjacent pieces, but that they normally stand at a distance from the guideplate E and are perfectly free at all times to move toward the same as soon as they are brought within the influence of the air-current, the foremost piece tilting forwardly on its lower edge and readily separating itself from the next piece without liability of carrying the latter with it.

While I have herein shown and described my suction-separator in connection with an endless carrier and a printing-wheel of peculiar construction, I do not wish to limit myself to that combination of parts, as this suction-separator can obviously be employed in connection with other parts and with carriers and canceling, printing, or marking devices of various constructions without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination With-a support for the stack of pieces to be separated, of a suctionhead which faces said stack and which is provided with a suction-opening against which the foremost piece is drawn by the air-current, means for inducing a continuous air-current through said opening, and a carrier which removes the separated piece from said suction-head while the air-pressure presses such piece against the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a support for the stack of pieces to be separated, of a stationary suction-head which faces said stack and which is provided with an upright guide-plate against which the foremost piece is drawn by the induced air-current, an exhaust device connected with said head, and means for removing the successively separated pieces from said suction-head, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a support for the stack of pieces to be separated, of a stationary suction-head which faces said stack and which is provided with a guide-plate against which the foremost piece is drawn by the induced air-current, an exhaust device con- TIO nected with said head, and a carrier which removes the separated piece from said suction-head and moves said piece along said guide-plate, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a support for the head and propels the same toward said marking device, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a chute on which the stack of pieces to be separated is supported, of a stationary upright guide-plate extending across the front of said chute and provided with a suction-opening, an exhaust device connected with said opening and inducing an air-current through the same, a marking device arranged adjacent to said guide-plate, beyond said feed-chute, and a carrier which removes the successively-separated pieces from said opening and propels the same toward said marking device, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a support for the stack of pieces to be separated, of a suctionhead which faces said stack and against which the foremost piece is drawn from the stack by the induced air-current, an exhaust device connected with said head, a marking device, and an endless carrier provided with conveying-fingers which remove the successively-separated pieces from said suctionhead and propel said pieces to said marking device, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a feed-chute for the mail-matter and a follower arranged therein and forminga rear abutment for the mailmatter, of a feed tape or tapes extending lengthwise along the bottom of said feedchute and attached at their rear ends to said follower, a feed device connected with the front end of said tape or tapes, a guide or abutment arranged transversely at the front end of said feed-chute and having an air passage or opening, and an air-propelling device connected with said passage for creating a suction-current through the same, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 22d day of December, 1898.

FRED. G. IELFIELD.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, ELLA R. DEAN. 

